Internet shopping sprees are out

Web consumers shop purposefully
Relaxing shopping is not a motive for using the Internet

Above all, Internet shopping should be quick.

Internet purchasers want to shop quickly  
The extended stroll through the Internet’s virtual shopping arcades is not for online shoppers. Only about every twelfth shopper will drift aimlessly through the virtual marketplaces on the net. One in ten shoppers buys on the net because it’s relaxing. For around three quarters of Internet users, it is far more important that they can find what they are looking for without delay, and can complete the purchase without much effort. Internet shoppers shop more purposefully than those on the high street. This emerged from the study of "Buyer typologies on the Internet - Sales stimulation by satisfied shopping motives", by novomind, in cooperation with wiwo.de and handelsblatt.com. 
  
"Young shoppers" especially favour the product diversity and ready availability on the Internet  
Online shoppers are rewarded with fast access to the products and the great availability of the goods on the Internet. They don’t have to fight through narrow aisles in department stores, and wait in endless queues of shoppers. “Young fun shoppers”, in particular, cite these factors in their switch to the Internet. They name fast and stress-free Internet purchasing as a prime motive for online shopping. At the same time, nine out of ten respondents like the independence of Internet purchasing. They prefer the virtual marketplaces to the real ones because they want to be independent of shop opening hours, for example. On the other hand, these Internet shoppers are uninterested in experimental shopping experiences or innovative products. 
  
Great transparency on the net brings the shoppers into the online store  
Not so much relaxation, but reward and autonomy provide the significant incentives to net purchase for the “controlled e-commerce layperson”. Each of the respondents said they could find what they wanted more quickly online. These Internet shoppers also prize the ease of comparing the online offers. There is no need to travel from shop to shop, for example, when this is only a few mouse clicks away on the Internet. However, inquisitiveness about trends will not drive this shopper type into the online shops. 
  
Study presents six online shopper types  
The study further identifies four more typical shopper profiles. The “sceptical bargain shoppers” particularly like the anonymity of online purchasing. At the same time, they appreciate the convenience, and seven out of ten respondents value forums and evaluations. The “deliberating comparer” proves to be especially critical. They see themselves as decisive, but rarely make their way to the virtual till. Every second such respondent buys online less than once a month, and this never happens spontaneously. The “occasional marketplace fan” prefers to roam undetected through the Internet shopping arcades, and likes to compare prices and quality before they decide. The sixth shopper group, the “balanced e-shopping pro”, also appreciates the anonymity of the Internet. They like the ease of shopping, without being detained by lengthy sales pitches and other hold-ups. 
  
Background information  
The study "Buyer typologies on the Internet - Sales stimulation by satisfied shopping motives" presents the results of an online survey which was carried out on the instructions of novomind AG, in cooperation with wiwo.de and handelsblatt.com. The objective of the investigation was to analyse the motives of Internet shoppers, and to identify the characteristics of specific shopper groups. A total of 186 specialists and managers in the Internet economy took part in the study. The online survey was carried out in September and October 2007. 
  
novomind AG: innovative software for professional customer communications  
Hamburg-based software company novomind is the fastest-growing company in the fields of electronic customer communication and mail management. As a leading provider of innovative solutions for digital customer communication, novomind AG offers software for service-based, personalised interaction with customers. This achieves noticeable increases in the efficiency of customer administration, as well as a fast return on investment. The service portfolio of the Products Business Unit includes the novomind Self Service SuiteTM. This software package contains all of the communication modules required for a customer service centre, which revolve around a central knowledge base: e-mail management, virtual customer consulting and systems for interactive real-time communication. In its Services Business Unit, novomind AG implements complex eBusiness applications. More than 40 big-name companies have already opted for novomind technology, including Citibank, Otto and the Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund (German Pensions Association). Club Bertelsmann, EnBW and Mexx, as well as public sector institutions such as the German Bundestag and the Federal Ministry of Economics, are already using novomind systems successfully to back up their customer communication, increase their turnover and improve their public relations.

---

<< back